Interim Finance Control & Reconciliations Lead

Interim Finance Control & Reconciliations Lead

Location: Leeds - Onsite

Duration: 3-6 months (Interim)

Start Date: ASAP

Role Purpose

To provide short-term senior finance support to strengthen our clients finance control environment during a period of transition.

This role will focus on reviewing reconciliations, applying independent challenge, supporting the sign-off of key finance controls, and improving overall process discipline. A key objective will be ensuring finance outputs are accurate, well evidenced, and fully audit ready.

This is a senior, hands-on role requiring strong technical judgement, attention to detail, and the ability to operate with a high degree of independence.

Key Responsibilities of the Interim Finance Control & Reconciliations Lead:

1. Reconciliation Review & Sign-Off

• Review daily, weekly and monthly reconciliations across key finance processes
• Validate that all reconciling items are clearly understood, evidenced and appropriately followed up
• Challenge unsupported balances, unexplained movements and aged items
• Ensure reconciliations are complete, accurate, and ready for formal sign-off
• Support the Finance Director with review and approval of key reconciliations where required

2. Financial Control & Audit readiness

• Review and assess effectiveness of existing finance controls
• Ensure supporting documentation is complete, accurate and audit-ready
• Identify control gaps and recommend practical remediation actions
• Support delivery of audit actions and ongoing remediation activity
• Promote consistent application of controls across the finance function

3. Month-end & Reporting support

• Support month-end close activity, including review of journals, accruals and balance sheet movements
• Challenge variance analysis to ensure explanations are fully supported by data
• Review management accounts / client reporting outputs prior to submission
• Ensure all month-end deliverables are completed to agreed timelines and standards

4. Payments, Refunds & Exception processes

• Review controls relating to payments, refunds, reversals, returned cheques and DDIC activity
• Ensure exceptions are appropriately logged, evidenced and escalated
• Assess adherence to SOPs and identify where clarification or improvement is required
• Support strengthening of exception approval and governance processes

5. Process Improvement & Documentation

• Document key finance processes, identifying gaps in ownership, control or evidence
• Support development and enhancement of SOPs
• Recommend improvements to reduce manual processes and strengthen control frameworks
• Assist with workload mapping and process reallocation where required

6. Team Support & Capability uplift

• Provide technical guidance and support to junior and part-qualified team members
• Improve the standard and consistency of reconciliation preparation and review
• Support clearer ownership, accountability and discipline across finance processes

Required Experience for the Interim Finance Control & Reconciliations Lead:

Essential:

• Strong background in financial control and reconciliation review
• Solid understanding of balance sheet controls and month-end close processes
• Experience reviewing work prepared by others with the ability to provide constructive challenge
• Strong Excel skills and ability to work with large and complex data sets
• Experience working in an audit-focused or tightly controlled finance environment
• Ability to identify control weaknesses and recommend practical improvements
• Confident working independently and escalating issues appropriately
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work to tight deadlines

Desirable:

• Experience in payments, refunds, banking, reconciliations or operational finance
• Exposure to public sector or high-volume transactional environments
• Experience supporting audit remediation or control improvement projects

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